Vienna (Tass/New Ziana) – Zimbabwe and Russia have signed a nuclear co-operation deal covering a number of civilian areas in medicine, agriculture and industry, officials said on Monday.

The deal was signed on the sidelines of the 65th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Austria by the Russian state-owned nuclear agency, Rosatom and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Energy and Power Development.

In a statement, Rosatom said the Memorandum of Understanding created the basis for the two sides to explore various civilian areas to co-operate in the use of nuclear energy and materials.

Before Monday’s deal, the two countries had already indicated willingness to co-operate in nuclear development and application in civilian areas.

“The Memorandum is the first document signed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Zimbabwe in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy. The document creates a basis for cooperation in a wide range of areas such as projects in the sphere of non-power applications of atomic energy in industry, agriculture and medicine,” Rosatom said.

“Particular attention deems to focus at personnel training for the national atomic industry of Zimbabwe and public acceptance of nuclear energy,” it added.

Energy and Power Development Minister Soda Zhemu signed the agreement with Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev.

Tass-New Ziana